TheKerpluk – Nitin Khanna is an Indian American serial entrepreneur. Having found success in technology (he sold his software company to EDS for $473MM), investment banking (his M&A advisory firm Mergertech is one of the leaders in helping founders sell their mobile tech businesses), and cannabis (his company Cura Cannabis solutions was the largest cannabis company in the world 2016-2018 and then was sold in the largest transaction in the cannabis industry’s history), he has now turned his attention to the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods industry) through his startup Sentia Wellness.

Investor belief in Nitin’s leadership and Sentia’s success can be seen from the fact that Sentia raised the largest private fundraising round ever in the CBD industry. Sentia raised $90MM on a $1.45BB valuation and may be the first startup to ever raise money at a unicorn valuation prior to even beginning operations. With this industry leading balance sheet Sentia has been able to attract a world class management team with executives coming from companies like Nike and Coca Cola, put together the industry’s leading CBD brand portfolio, and set up the largest and most automated CPG focused CBD factory anywhere in the world.

Sentia is a 21st century health and wellness company with its roots in CBD. Even though it is only 6 months old, its Social CBD brand is one of the largest brands in the CBD industry and can be found online and in over 20,000 mass market doors in retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, and 7-11. Sentia has used this leadership position to also license other brands such as Volcom, Sports Illustrated, and Zoeey from the Authentic Brands Group (same group that recently purchased Barneys and Forever21). With this leading multi-brand portfolio all based on CBD, the company is now looking to expand beyond CBD into additional cannabinoids like CBG and CBN but also in other areas of modern holistic health like adaptogens and nootropics combined with beneficial herbs and vitamins.

In addition to a leading brand portfolio, Sentia is also proud of its position as the leading consumer goods manufacturer in the CBD space. It has a purpose built fully automated 170,000 square foot manufacturing plant that has manufacturing lines for gummies, tinctures, gelcaps, hydrotabs, and various types of topicals.

Despite the FDA’s recent negative stance on CBD that has been problematic for the whole industry, Sentia remains poised as the leading company in the space. With Nitin’s proven leadership, an experienced management team, one of the biggest balance sheets in the industry, the leading brands, and the largest manufacturing and distribution center in the sector, Sentia is looking forward to an exciting future as the dominant player in cannabinoid based holistic health solutions for consumers. Especially during these very difficult times created by the coronavirus, Sentia takes its leadership role seriously. Given the anxiety and sleeplessness levels of our entire country, Sentia has decided to give away free Social CBD to consumers who could absolutely use the relief that comes from CBD. An upcoming campaign will let consumers across the whole country know how they can access the highest quality, most tested CBD products in the country, for FREE. As they do their part by staying socially distanced, we will do our part by giving them free Social CBD.

Navigating the issues created by FDA regulatory roadblocks and COVID-19 created health and economic tragedies is not an enviable task but companies that have deep management teams with good balance sheets will find that this can be a time not just to survive but actually thrive while at the same time helping their communities and consumers as much as they can.

CBD beverage sales are expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 242% through 2022. And it means the CBD beverage market would blast off to a $1.5 billion industry in a very short period of time. CBD is no longer on the launch pad. It’s taking off, growing larger with each passing day. Already, the CBD supplements market is larger than the vitamin E market. And it’ll soon surpass the omega-3 supplements market.

The two biggest players, Neptune Wellness Solutions (Nasdaq: NEPT) and Valens GroWorks (OTC: VGWCF) have both gained more than 120% year to date.

Neptune has multiyear extraction deals with The Green Organic Dutchman (OTC: TGODF) and Tilray (Nasdaq: TLRY). And Valens just reported that revenue surged nearly 300%. A smaller player, Radient Technologies (OTC: RDDTF), just completed its first commercial run with Aurora Cannabis (NYSE: ACB). The small extractor also has a German facility that will have a capacity of 2.8 million kilograms of hemp and 280,000 kilograms of cannabis once it’s completed next year. And we’ve also seen solid returns from Waters Corp. (NYSE: WAT). The company manufactures extractors, as well as pesticides and lab equipment that extraction and cannabis companies need for purification and testing.